The Numerous Travels of Bella Vanilla
by Carrie-oke
Summary: When the forest she's lived near since childhood is destroyed by someone she thought she could call her friend, children's book writer Bella Vanilla is forced to find somewhere else. Where in the Seussiverse will she go? If you want, I'll let you decide!
1. Chapter 1

(A/N: I'm calling this a Lorax story because that's where it starts, and the backstory turned out longer than intended. Hopefully, I'll finish it in the next chapter, and then we can get to the numerous travels! Those can take place in any Dr. Seuss books.)

* * *

 _Back in the time when the_ _Bar-ba-loots_ _played,_

 _And the Humming-Fish hummed, and the Truffulas swayed,_

 _And the Swomee-Swans sang in a sweet serenade,_

 _A little girl came for a visit._

Bella rest her pencil at the top of the page, having finally completed the first verse of her autobiographical story. She had never intended to relay her whole life in book form; children's books just didn't have room for whole life stories. But she could sense the excitement of her upcoming adventure, and while she felt the events that led to it were best left to some other writer, she had to at least mention them in this tale.

It was hard to just ignore the destruction of an entire ecosystem.

* * *

When Bella first arrived, the Truffula Valley wasn't home to many humans. Trees, Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans, and Humming-Fish, yes, but no human beings. Their "habitat" was in a town a bit of a distance from the edge of the forest. Of course, it was only the slightest bit of a distance, since a six-year-old prone to wandering could traverse it with ease.

It happened the day Bella's parents took her out on a walk past the edge of town. There was really nothing to look at, save for a few patches of Grickle-grass, which was why she wasn't too enthusiastic at first.

But just when she was about to give up on finding something and complain that she wanted to go home, she found something unusual in the distance. It was hard to make out, but it looked like...a lollipop. A _fuzzy_ lollipop. A _bunch_ of fuzzy lollipops.

With little regard for the rule that she had to stay near Mom and Dad- it wasn't very strictly enforced, anyway- Bella ran in the direction of the lollies. Soon, she found herself in a colorful wonderland of plants and animals.

And this wonderland soon became her second childhood home.

Naturally, her parents were concerned that someone so young was going off on her own so much, so when it was time for Bella to pay the Truffula Valley a visit, one or both of them would follow. But her mother insisted that it was good for her to explore and have some time to herself, so they never followed _too_ closely. Instead, they waited right outside the forest, about a foot from the first Truffula tree, until their daughter was finished, and once she was old enugh to be trustworthy, they stopped following her altogether.

Because of the privacy this setting allowed her, not to mention the beautiful landscape and the animal friends she was making, Bella grew very attached to this forest. And when she began to consider children's book writing as a career, her first story ideas took her right to the trees. Her first successful story was loosely based on her initial encounter with the place; it was called _Goldilocks and the Three Bar-ba-loots_.

* * *

It took until three years after that was published for Bella to ever see another human in the forest. Before, the only other creature she'd been able to converse with was a short, furry, mustachioed man who'd said he was the Lorax. And the few times when _he_ spoke to her, it was usually to make sure she wasn't disclosing the location of the Truffula Valley to her readers.

Which was why she was so surprised when a _new_ voice reached her ears. It happened one day when she was working on the draft of _Sammy Swan's Lost Song_ , the latest installment of the _Goldilocks_ series. Just when she was about to start drawing the tuft portion of a Truffula Tree, that voice sent her papers and pencil flying into the air. It was someone's loud singing, accompanied by...was that a guitar?

Once she gathered up her supplies, making sure the pages were in the right order, she decided to investigate. Cautiously, she stepped closer until she could spot the source of the sound. Amazingly, it was _another human being_ , and he seemed to be getting along well with the animals. They were dancing in rhythm and singing backup, and though she couldn't bring herself to completely trust this guy, Bella couldn't help but nod along. Sure, she had no idea what this "thneed" the guy said he was going to make was, but he sure seemed happy about it. And the joy was infectious.

That is, until he whipped out an axe and sliced through a tree. It crashed through the air and landed with a thump, and he just kept on singing.

This was Bella's first impression of this man, and she really hoped it would be the last. Luckily, she didn't have to summon the courage to ask him what in the world he was doing, because the Lorax seemed to have that covered. So _this_ was why she didn't see him much; problems like this didn't happen often.

As the Lorax ordered this newcomer to get out, Bella watched from behind a Truffula tree, just to make sure things went well. Unfortunately, they...didn't. The guy had retreated into his tent, and the Lorax had no choice but to leave him alone for now.

Oh, well. Better luck next time. Right now, Bella figured she should get back to drawing. But as she turned around and saw the sad little stump, surrounded by stones from the animals, she figured she should pay her respects as well. She found a nice round one and reached over to put it on the fallen tree's remains, but as she was leaning, she tripped on a different, rather heavy stone and dropped hers. Just like the tree, she fell to the earth. "Whoooa!"

Unlike the tree, she had arms to break her fall, so she didn't suffer too much damage. But she must have _sounded_ like she had, because the young man from earlier was frantically running over. "What happened? Are you okay?"

He offered a hand to help her up, but she was reluctant to accept it, so she gathered her art supplies and stood up herself. "Yep," she said as she straightened out her papers. "I'm fine."

She slowly stepped away, hoping he would take it as a signal to leave her be, but he didn't. Instead, he stood there, a concerned expression still on his face. "You sure?" he asked. "You sound upset."

"No, I...I'm good. I just tripped, and oh, I scraped my knee." She held her skirt up with one hand and plunged the other into the bag draped over her shoulder. "Come on, Band-Aid, Band-Aid…" she whispered to herself. "Tissue...napkin…"

"I have some bandages back at the cottage," the guy offered. "Come on, I'll get you some."

She _really_ didn't want to accept this guy's help, but she was bleeding, for gosh sakes. What choice did she have? Reluctantly, she nodded and followed him back to his quarters.

"So," he said, "what's your name?"

She thought back to the Lorax's introduction. "I am the Lorax, and I speak for the trees." There was something about that she liked.

So she hastily put together her own version. "I'm Bella Vanilla, the story tella. I...write more than I speak."

Her companion chuckled. "I'm the Once-ler, and I'm gonna make my dreams come true once I finish this thneed! I'll tell you all about it when we get there!"

And believe it or not, the two of them became friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Naturally, it took some time for Bella to warm up to Once-ler, but it happened sooner than she expected. His ambitions with regard to the thneeds still scared her, but as long as you weren't threatening to interfere with his business, he was a pretty nice guy. A lot of fun, too; he was full of energy, always ready to pick up his guitar and break into song.

And besides, the day after he arrived, he'd promised the Lorax he wouldn't chop down any more trees. So that was a good sign. Bella could rest easy even when his family came by to help him make more thneeds.

Or so she thought.

The first sign of doom came when Once-ler introduced her to his family: his mother, two brothers, uncle, and aunt. They seemed nice on the surface, but the way the Once-ler acted around them suggested they'd treated him like _dirt_. It was clear they were only in this for the potential money; he was planning to sell these things, after all.

Once-ler's family hauled a bucket on wheels around the forest, snipping tufts from the trees, as Bella looked on, deeply hoping it would stay that way. So deep was she in her worrying that she didn't even notice the Once-ler himself approach until he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ah!" She jumped, nearly dropping her papers again.

"Oops! Sorry 'bout that," he said.

"It's fine, Once-ler. What was it you wanted to say?"

"Well, Miss Bella Vanilla, I just wanted to inform you that I've finished the second thneed!" He held out a...pair of pajamas? Shirt with too many sleeves? Whatever it was, it had a yellow and orange patchwork pattern, and it was fuzzy. Like the Truffula Trees.

"Cool," Bella said, trying her best to smile.

"And I want you to have it."

"Oh! Um, well…" Was it really alright to take it? They weren't making them out of chopped down trees, but it still felt weird to just take Truffula tufts. And besides, she'd heard how enthusiastic he was about his business being successful. Was he really just giving this away for _free_? After some hesitation, she asked "How much?"

"Three ninety-eight!" he declared. "That's what I'm planning to sell it for. But this, my friend, is a special promotional event. This one is free of charge."

"Wow, thanks," she managed to say, slowly sliding the thneed out of his hands. This stuff really _was_ softer than silk, just like the legends said.

"Don't mention it! Though if you want another one, it's going to cost you."

"I'll keep that in mind. So, uh...what does it do?"

"EVERYTHING!"

"What?"

"Okay, not _everything_ , but it DOES have a million different uses! You can use it for carpets. For pillows! For sheets! Or curtains! Or covers for bicycle seats!"

She'd always been a bit jealous of people who could improvise rhymes so easily. It took so long for her to come up with something good that she had to settle for writing most of her books in prose. There was just no other way to meet her deadlines.

But she didn't say anything about that. Instead, she figured it was best to focus on the thneed at hand. "I think I'll try it as a pillow first," she said, burying her face in the fuzz. "It's just so _soft_!"

The next day, when she came to the Valley to begin the day's writing session, she was using her thneed not as a pillow, but as a sack to keep her supplies in. It was just a test run, she told herself; if things didn't work out, she'd go back to the old bag. And besides, it was a present. Might as well get good use out of it.

As she looked for a good place to sit, she spotted the Once-ler and his family hard at work. A few steps closer, and she could hear their conversation.

"Harvesting the tufts takes too long."

"Well, what else can we do?"

"Well...and this just came to me...we could always start chopping down the trees."

WHAT?

Bella stopped in her tracks. They weren't really going to...were they? But he'd promised…

"But-"

"No buts, Oncie. You're running a business now. You have to do what's best for the company. And your Momma."

The Once-ler went quiet, presumably to think. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to chop down a few trees."

Bella stood in shocked silence. She was starting to wish she hadn't brought her thneed with her.

* * *

But that was just the beginning. Soon afterward came the _biggering_. The thneeds were so popular- for good reason, Bella had to admit- that soon the Once-ler had a multimillion dollar corporation on his hands. The profit only biggered, and so did the demand...and, unfortunately, this meant the number of Truffula Trees in existence only _smallered_.

And so did any sense of comfort Bella had when she was around the Once-ler. He still thought they were on good terms; one time, he even offered to commission her to write a children's magazine ad. But how could she consider herself a friend of anyone who would chop down her happy memories like it was nothing?

The worst part was that she couldn't bring herself to hate him. By all accounts, destroying something so important to her should have made her blood boil- even though she rarely got mad. And yes, she did feel _some_ anger towards the guy.

But even so, she hesitated when the Lorax suggested _she_ try to talk some sense into him for a change. "He actually _likes_ you," he pointed out, "so maybe he'll listen to you."

So she gathered her courage and scheduled an appointment to see him. This was a big message she had to convey, so on the way up to the top floor, she mentally rehearsed how she was going to word it. It started out as a stern "Alright, mister, we need to talk!" but as the elevator inched toward the top, she continued to soften the blow.

When it finally came time to say it, it came out as, "Look, Once-ler, I know that you're more successful than you ever have been, and everyone seems to be enjoying these thneed things, and I...kind of still have mine, not to mention that closing the factory would put millions out of a job, but…where was I going with this?"

For the first time since she'd entered the room, she looked directly at the Once-ler. And of course, he was on the phone. Big business people tended to be busy. Right.

"Hey, production's up tenfold. You don't have to worry about a thing!" A glance to the side led him to Bella, and the slightest head movement indicated he hadn't seen her come in. "Listen, I have an appointment right now, so...I'm gonna have to talk to you later. Yeah. Bye, Mom." And he set the phone down. with a click. "Hey, Bella. How's your thneed workin' out for ya?"

He hadn't heard anything she'd just said, had he? "It's still in pretty good condition. But, um, that's not why I came here."

"Really? Why _did_ you come, then? Willing to reconsider that ad campaign?"

"That's not even-"

"Just wanted to say hi?"

" _Actually,_ there's something I need to tell you. The thing is-" She was interrupted again, this time by the phone ringing.

The Once-ler reached for the phone again. "That's probably my mom again. You know she used to say I'd never amount to anything? Like, all the time?"

"Oh…" She'd had the feeling things weren't great between him and his family, but that...that was just sad.

"You can still tell me! If you can make it quick."

After a moment's hesitation, Bella just sighed. "Never mind." And she turned around and stepped back into the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

No matter how hard she tried, Bella couldn't find it in her to tell the Once-ler he needed to stop, but there was still a part of her that hoped that there was some way to change his mind. Unfortunately, when she turned to the Lorax, even he had to admit this was a lost cause.

Eventually, Bella couldn't bear having to see the forest disappear, so she stopped coming altogether. Instead of the Truffula Valley, she spent her writing sessions in her house, surrounded by bookshelves filled with stories and walls filled with artwork. Most of these pictures contained Truffulas, sure, but they just weren't the same as the real thing. Bella found herself tapping her pencil against her desk for hours on end, struggling to figure out a premise for the book after Sammy Swan's Lost Song.

Maybe she'd have to make Goldilocks move into the big city.

Things were especially tough after she sent the final draft of Lost Song to the publisher, because now she had to spend all her time on what would come next. Eventually, she couldn't take waiting around anymore; she had to get something on paper! So she decided to venture out to the Valley once more, on the hope that maybe, just maybe, there'd be a tree left.

If there wasn't, she'd have no choice but to initiate her backup plan.

* * *

Of the many pieces of paper Bella carried in her thneed sack that day, two of them had writing on them. One read "Goldilocks Book 8" and nothing more. The other had much more text, organized in bullet points that ran all the way down the page. At the top of the list lay, in large, underlined words, the term "Backup Plan."

She'd been thinking about this for a while. At first, it had been nothing more than a joke suggestion from some part of her mind, but it had grown into something much more possible. Much more probable, even.

But before she could put it into action, she'd have to see if there were any trees still standing, and that was easier said than done. Smog filled the air, obscuring any possible signs of life, and she almost stepped in a puddle of smelly, vomit green goop. Wait, had that once been a pond?

The smog and goop, combined with the eerie, dark atmosphere and the miles of lifeless stumps sent Bella a very clear message: You shouldn't be here. But she couldn't give up yet! There had to be something she could work with. There had to be at least...yes! A tree!

It was barely visible due to the polluted air, but it was there, and it was glorious. Bella ran toward it, not even caring what she might step in on the way. There was hope yet; this one tree still stood even after all the others had fallen! It was inspirational, in a way, almost like a moral of a story.

Of course, that story wouldn't end with the tree getting chopped down by an axe-wielding machine, but unfortunately, that's what she'd come just in time to see.

She slowed to a stop. No...this couldn't be happening. They couldn't all be gone!

But they were all gone. That was the very last tree lying on the ground, and it would never get up. And just like it, any of the happiness this place had still held was gone for good.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Some of this was her fault, wasn't it? She could have prevented this, if only she'd had the guts to tell the Once-ler that maybe chopping trees down wasn't the best thing to do.

Speaking of the Once-ler, wasn't that his factory over there?

Something compelled her to step closer. She hadn't seen that guy in a while. What would become of him now that there was no more material for thneeds? No more tufts. No more trees. No more...anything.

Bella sank to the ground, resting her head in her knees as she sat against a stump. The backup plan would have to wait; now, she needed a good cry.

* * *

After a while, the sound of a car finally made her look up. She barely caught a glimpse of that vehicle she'd seen the Once-ler's family in; any later and she wouldn't have been able to recognize it. It looked like his family was leaving him, and with the kind of people they seemed to be, it made sense. Now that their relative wasn't successful anymore, they saw no reason to stick around.

Soon afterward came all the forest animals: the Bar-ba-loots, the Humming-Fish, the Swomee-Swans. At least they hadn't gone extinct. And leading the pack was a small, fuzzy, orange man: the Lorax. When they passed the Once-ler, there was a small exchange between him and the Lorax, but Bella couldn't hear what they said. And then the animals marched on, passing her along the way.

It took every ounce of strength she had not to bawl as she said, "Goodbye, guys."

The animals waved sadly without stopping their walk, but the Lorax stopped in his tracks. "You're here, too?"

Bella nodded.

"Look, I'm really sorry you had to see this. I know how much the forest meant to you. It...meant a lot to me, too. But for your own safety, you shouldn't come here anymore."

"I understand. But…" She motioned towards the animals. "...are they gonna be okay?"

The Lorax sighed. "I hope so."

By now, the animals had gone on without him, and he walked back over to the Once-ler. For a few moments, the two just looked at each other. Then, somehow, the Lorax grabbed himself by the seat of his pants and lifted himself into the sky, most likely never to be seen again. Throughout all those years visiting the forest, Bella had never known he could do that.

Once the amazement faded, Bella's attention turned back to the Once-ler. It was then, when she saw him standing there, his hat off, his head lowered, that she realized: everyone had left him. All in a single day, the public, his family, and his forest friends had abandoned him, and now, he was all alone in this polluted wasteland. Even with the knowledge that he'd brought this on himself, it was hard not to feel bad for him.

Perhaps it wasn't the best time to tell him her backup plan.

But what choice did she have? Taking a deep breath, she stood up and hoisted her thneed over her shoulder. He didn't even see her coming.

So once she was close enough, she let out a quiet "Hi."

His head shot up. "Bella?"

Bella could only offer a small nod in reply.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you again! Sure, I just lost everything, but even before that, it wasn't the same after you just...sort of...disappeared. Where were you all that time, anyway?"

"My house, mostly. The forest was getting kind of...dirty." That was putting it lightly, but Once-ler of all people would know what she meant. "It meant a lot to me, and to see it like this, well…"

"Yeah, about that, I'm really sorry." At first he spoke as if he'd spilled coffee on Bella's dress, but then it clicked. "Wait, did you just say the forest meant a lot to you?"

She took a deep breath to prevent herself from crying again. "Mm-hm. I used to come here all the time as a kid. It was the only place I could have time to myself but also meet friends. And then there were the trees, and the river, and...the clear skies, and…"

"...and I destroyed all of it," Once-ler said. "The only human friend I've ever had, and I chop down all her hopes and dreams!" Once again, he looked at the ground. "The Lorax was right. I really am bad."

"Hey, you didn't know." She sniffed. "I should have told you sooner. Then maybe I could have prevented all this."

"No, no, I'm the one who actually did it. I won't have you thinking this is in any way your fault! In fact, I totally understand if you never want to see me again."

Another deep breath. Now was the perfect opportunity. "It's funny you should mention that, because I'm...I'm leaving."

"Leaving? What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm leaving this town, this...area. Tomorrow."

"What?"

"I just can't stand to be here anymore. Too many memories. And besides, it's probably really dangerous, with all the smog and stuff. So I'm getting out of here."

"But...I...where will you go?"

"I don't know, Once-ler," Bella said, with a surprisingly confident tone, "but I can't stay here."

The Once-ler stared at her in panicked disbelief. "But this is all so sudden!"

"I've been thinking about this for a while now, and now I have no choice. I hope you understand."

"Yeah, I understand, but…" For a few seconds, he seemed to be looking for another reason to protest. But when he couldn't think of any, he sighed. "Be careful out there."

"Thanks. Now, I have to go home and pack. See you…" Probably never. "...Bye. And, uh, sorry you have to go through this alone." And after one last look, she turned and walked away. She'd have to remember to take down his address the next morning, in case she decided to write to him.

* * *

 _So that little girl, who had long since grown_

 _Went into the world, and all on her own._

 _What she was looking for, she couldn't say._

 _All that she knew was that she couldn't stay._

That had taken much longer than she'd thought it would. Still, the first chapter of her story was finally complete. While it may have been the sad end to the Lorax and Once-ler's story, she could sense it was only the beginning of hers. What adventures lay ahead, no one could say. It was pretty exciting.

But she couldn't think of any possibilities right now; instead, her mind wandered to the Lorax, and all the animals who had to find a new home. And the Once-ler, who, despite everything he'd done, she still considered a friend. How would he fare on his own, anyway? Hopefully things wouldn't be too bad.

Because that look he'd given her right before she walked away hadn't just been one of guilt, or frustration. He almost seemed...heartbroken.

* * *

A/N: And on that...sadder note than originally intended...we're ready to begin the travelling portion of the story! If you have any Dr. Seuss stories you'd like to see Bella encounter, please let me know! And don't worry; this doesn't have to become a love story.


End file.
